[d0GGii]

Hi everyone out here. Yes im a current windows user who's trying to convert to MAC. MAC IS GOING TO BE BIG! ok there doesnt seem to be much different to me since im not rreally a power user. at the same time, it would be lovely if i can play World of Warcraft on the laptop. i've just made my purchase on the 1g ram at newegg.com. and without a doubt i will get the 12inch cuz i want the best potability(small and light). right now all its left for me to decide is whether to get a PowerBook or an iBook. Regardless of the price, what's the top 5 reasons that you chose the PowerBook over the iBook ( or the other way around) . sorry if this question has been asked before. this is important for me.

[LiquidSnake]

1-Better screen
2-Sligtly more powerfull.
3-I like the PB 's design (everybodys taste is different but for me PB looks better)
4-More futures
5-Did i say the screen is better ?
Congrats about your new machine.What ever you choose you can't go wrong.The new gen of the ibook's are nearly good as Pb's the gap is closed.

[iDaver]

1. DVI out
2. Bigger hard drive standard

There were other reasons for me, like a higher resolution screen but sounds like they won't apply to you if you're going for a 12" model. If you don't need DVI, I'd say you can't beat the 12" iBook for value right now. Good luck with the decision.

[MrForgetable]

1. More available pixels in the 15 and 17 inch models. (probably the most importanat to me?)
2. Much better screen
3. Keyboard feels much sturdier (and it's backlit)
4. More power (better video card, faster processor)
5. Dual Monitor out of the box

the last 3 don't mean as much to me as the first two do. the iBook does not offer a screen resolution greater than 1024x768, so my 2nd option was the 15 inch Powerbook and have not been dissapointed.

[Randman]

Well, I had 3 iBooks, a clamshell graphite, a 600mhz G3 14 and a 1Ghz G4 14 before getting my PB17.
The top 5 reasons?

Screen size. The 17 can't be beat.
Power. 1.5ghz is plenty of power.
Memory. I have 1.5gb of ram now and will likely go to 2gb sometime in the future.
Extras. The backlit keyboard, extra USB slot, video spanning built-in, bluetooth, video ram, etc., makes it well worth the money imo.
Value. I'll likely keep it till the G5 PBs go rev b, and the PB line is more likely to keep its resale value and not be obsolete as quickly as the iBook line.

[mdc]

1. screen
2. superdrive (i don't like the 14" ibook)
3. screen
4. screen
5. screen

[brettcamp]

In order of importance:
1. ability to connect to DVI monitor
2. twice as large hard disk
3. superior keyboard
4. Looks cooler

I adore my Powerbook more than I ever liked my iBook (and I really liked the iBook, too), but when I bought, the price difference (thanks to a sale and th AirPort card not being bundled with the iBook then) was only $200. If I were buying now, I'd go with the iBook, reluctantly, because it's a much better value. Unless you have high-end graphics needs etc. and really need the extra power.

[Simon]

I have a 12" PowerBook and my brother has an 12" iBook so I'll compare these two models here. The PowerBook is better because:

- DVI out
- More raw power (CPU, GPU and bus)
- smaller size
- better look (sleek instead of sturdy looking)


The iBook's advantages:

- price; it's simply one of the best values Apple offers
- it's very robust
- AppleCare is whole lot cheaper on the iBook

Bottom line: If you have lots of money, get the PowerBook. If you don't or if you want to toss it around and be less careful, get the iBook. Since you mention that you want to play a game I could imagine the PowerBooks' GPU will be a lot more adequate than the iBook's. Unless of course the game is old and runs fine on any current GPU (I don't know your game).

BTW, the PowerBooks are probably soon going to get an update (the current line-up was introduced in April) so I would only buy one now if you really have to. If you don't necessarily need it right now, I'd wait a t least till MWSF in January.

[SEkker]

iBook has a MUCH better battery life, better wifi and is more rugged than the PB (all good things for college students). The 12" model cannot have a superdrive or a 5400 rpm HD installed at the factory.

Otherwise, the PBs are better in incremental ways (keyboard, dual monitor support standard, etc).

I agree, the PBs seem prime for at least an incremental update soon. Jobs may prerelease a dual core machine (which may not be available until summer), or it may just be a slightly faster G4 CPU. But if you need the machine, go ahead and buy -- we just purchased 3, which are in use today.

[d0GGii]

Looks like the top reasons are the better screen, the DVI OUT, and the better appearance.

DIV OUT is probably be the most important one. 12inch LCD is honestly a little small, but i really need its portability.

thx guys. i've made up my mind. i will get the POwerbook 12'. now i'm off to decide to get a superdrive or not which will cost me 200 bucks more on the purchase.

[DeathToWindows]

I've got a rev. c 12"...

1. Keyboard. The ibook one units always feel spongy to my fingers.
2. Screen
3. Casing... don't like the ice-plastic all that much
4. Raw speed
5. DVI out

[Dr.Michael]

1 dvi output
2 dual monitor support
that said I used a cinema display for a short time. After I recognized that the powerbook runs hot with nonstop fan noise I stopped using an external display.
3. Audio in (sold my iMic)
4. looks cooler
5. shorter battery life

Bottom line: looks cooler and has audio in. This costs 800� more than the iBook (850 - iMic).
Very stupid decision!

Ahem, I have forgotten: 100� more for apple care.

[albook]

* Better screen (larger size, higher resolution, brighter...).
* Faster CPU.
* Faster graphics.
* More memory.
* Bigger/faster hdd.
* BlueTooth.
* FireWire 800.
* Design.
* Gbit LAN.
* Backlit keyboard.
* DVI Out.
* Dual monitor support (extended desktop, not mirrored).

[d0GGii]

as far as i know
the powerbook 12' combodrive model does not have the backlit keyboard. am i corret?
its a pretty cool feature that i'd absolutely love to have.

now im a little concernted with the battery life of the Powerbook.

what is the exact bettery life in hours of a powerbook and an ibook?

[bookofjames]

Originally posted by d0GGii:
as far as i know
the powerbook 12' combodrive model does not have the backlit keyboard. am i corret?
its a pretty cool feature that i'd absolutely love to have.

now im a little concernted with the battery life of the Powerbook.

what is the exact bettery life in hours of a powerbook and an ibook?

my one year old 12" Powerbook Rev B lasts me about 4 hours of normal usage w/o accessing the optical drive.

the iBooks generally lasts about an hour longer.

[Apfhex]

Of course, while you're playing WoW battery life won't matter, since it'd drain in minutes probably.

If you want the most power in portable form, go for the PowerBook. If you want a great value, go for the iBook, especially if you're going for the 12" anyway. I use my PowerBook for lots of graphic design and (once, at least) a little video editing, for which it is great. S-Video output and DVI (VGA with adapter) output is a nice advantage for me. I certainly need the bigger screen space (15"... if I were buying today I'd likely get the 17").

[ddma]

(15-inch/17-inch)

5. PCMCIA
4. DUAL DISPLAY
3. 2 RAM SLOTS
2. MORE PROCESSING POWER
1. DISPLAY

[d0GGii]

thx guys
DVI out is no longer a problem since there's a firmware hack that can enable the dual screen feature on the ibook

these are some little concerns left over:

1. appearance - i've never put the two side by side and take a close look at them. i'd love to have my laptop as thing and small as possible for the maximum portability

2. keyboard - same thing i need to put the two together to make the comparison. i really want the backlit keyboard tho

3. screen - same need a closeer comparison

4. the new generation os Powerbook is coming out next year January? is that a rumor or a fact?

[UnixMac]

Cause I'm power hungry! That's why!


but really.... I chose the higher end 15" for the following reasons, in order:

1. Screen
2. speed of the G4 1.5
3. Blue tooth (I use an external mouse)
4. Faster Hard Drive
5. ATI 9700 with 128mb (awesome graphics for a desktop, let alone a laptop)

[Randman]

Backlit is only for PB 15s and 17S.

[Lancer409]

1) Powerbooks had a more quality feel about them. smooth ... thinner .. feld better in the hand. (in otherwords style and feel)

2) features (processor, graphics etc .. all things u cant upgrade on these)

3) keyboard .. best keyboard on a laptop .. ever!

4) scratch resistant, stain resistant. i've seen plenty of ibooks in store with discolored keyboards (from grimey hands rubbing dirt onto it) and they have swirl/scratch marks on ibooks .. just like u get on the front of an ipod if u dont have a case around it. those hairline swirly scratches etc... that would bug me very fast.

5) price ... with school discounts .. the difference = 1 paycheck .. not bad in my honest opinion...

[Simon]

WTF is the deal with all this talk about display quality?

Read the guy's post. He's comparing a 12" PowerBook with a 12" iBook. The two have exactly the same screen size, resolution, color, etc. Actually, they are considered to be made by the same manufacturer and identical. He could probably care less about the 17" PB's display having better color quality.

[Simon]

Originally posted by d0GGii:
1. appearance - i've never put the two side by side and take a close look at them. i'd love to have my laptop as thing and small as possible for the maximum portability

The PB is smaller. But not by much. At most stores you can compare the two side by side in person.

2. keyboard - same thing i need to put the two together to make the comparison. i really want the backlit keyboard tho

There is no such thing on the 12" PB. If you rely on the BL keyboard you would need to get a 15" or 17".

3. screen - same need a closeer comparison

Identical. You won't notice a difference (apart from possibly different calibration -> check Display Color settings)

4. the new generation os Powerbook is coming out next year January? is that a rumor or a fact?

Rumor.

Backed up by the fact that the current line-up is already well over Apple's usual 6 month cycle. By January it will be 9 months which makes updates pretty likely. But not certain, with Steve that's clear.

[Randman]

Originally posted by Simon:
WTF is the deal with all this talk about display quality?

Read the post yourself. He asked what led many people here to get a PB over an iBook. Display quality is a big factor. So go yourself.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Randman:
Read the post yourself.

Baloney. That's the thread title. In his first post he wrote:

Originally posted by d0GGii:
and without a doubt i will get the 12inch cuz i want the best potability(small and light). right now all its left for me to decide is whether to get a PowerBook or an iBook.

How much more clear can he be?

[d0GGii]

sorry for specifying the thread to be 12' only
but keep the comments coming as long as it's good to the community. i believe there's many ppl out there that fall under the same boat as me who don't know exactly which one to choose.

[justinkim]

My PB's getting a little long in the tooth, but at the time I bought it because:

1) Screen
2) Better 3D
3) Faster
4) Monitor spanning
5) Memory capacity

If I were in the market now, I'd probably still get a PB for most of the same the reasons, but I'd still strongly consider the iBook. As it is now, I'll probably soldier along with my 1GHz TiBook until G5 PBs are announced.

[iREZ]

The PB will have a longer amount of use compared to the iBook, due to its 64MB of VRAM, faster BUS, and faster HD, not to mention the audio in and DVI out (not VGA only). I chose a 12" 1GHz PB over a 800MHz iBook becaue of a couple of reasons but since then the iBook has really packed a punch. I know that 32MB is the bare minimum when spanning screens (I know it can be lower but expose gets tooooo choppy) and I now wished I had waited a couple more months to get the 1.33 12" with 64MB, oh well. All I know is I've had my PB for a year and don't plan on getting rid of it for another year, but had I got an iBook instead, I know I'd be moving up to a better notebook about now, so to sum it up PB if you want it to be your only computer that's gonna last you awhile, iB if you plan on saving some pennies and getting one of the best values around, but thats just me and what I think.

[sworthy]

I have a 12" powerbook 1Ghz and my fiance has a iBook G4 12"

DVI Out: sure the ibook can be hacked, but it still can't connect to a DVI monitor

Speed: The powerbook is definitely faster

Build quality: The ibook can take a better beating, but the powerbook feels a lot better in quality. The keyboard, and everything about it oozes sleekness

However, sometimes I use the ibook - here's why

better battery life
better wi-fi reception
not as hot (good if you use it on your lap)

EIther way, wait! Sure it's just a rumor that powerbooks will be refreshed, but they will soon, wheather that's at MWSF or later in Jan or Feb. The deal breaker is if you want a superdrive or not, or a coreimage approved graphics card. I don't regret my powerbook purchase, but if you don't need all of the speed and extras, the ibook is a very good choice as well.

[amajewski]

Several of my friends and I have all owned iBooks in the past and now have PowerBooks. We all had 12" iBooks (800 mhz G3). Now I use a 1 Ghz 12", one guy uses an 867 Mhz 12", and another has a 1.5 Ghz 15".

Our primary reason for getting PBs instead of new iBs was speed. Besides PBs having more raw CPU speed, they also have larger cache, which will help you with graphics stuff (like WoW). On top of that PBs have better video cards, DVI out, Bluetooth (sweet for wireless mouse, syncing with cellphones), a sturdier feeling case, a more solid feeling keyboard, as well as being slightly smaller and lighter.

I played the WoW open beta on my PB, and while it ran fine on minimum settings, I would definitely recommend you get the PB. The current iBooks are about the same stats as my 1 yr old PB. While the game was definitely playable, it was on lowest settings, and did get a bit choppy in big towns. I'm sure the better graphics card and faster processor of the new PBs would make it way better. My friend with the new 15" PB also played WoW on it and said that it ran fine on the recommended settings (I think they were med-high).

Some other points of advice:
1) get as big a hard drive as possible when ordering... you WILL fill it eventually, and its very hard to upgrade.
2) don't get a SuperDrive. For $200 you can get a MUCH better external Firewire DVD burner, like one of the LaCie ones. How often would you actually burn DVDs when you're not at your desk anyways?

Oh, yeah, and the heat thing isn't as big a deal as everyone makes it out to be. My PB gets warm, but not uncomfortably so. Also, after tweaking my energy settings when running off battery, I get about 4 1/2 hours using it to take notes in class.

One final note: iBooks are tough little laptops, I will give them that. I gave my brother my old iBook when he was deployed to Iraq, and he's been using it there for almost a year now with no problems whatsoever.

[d0GGii]

4.5 hours of battery life that is really something good to hear =)

i am about to come down to my final decision and it is most likely to be the PowerBook 12'. having to hear that the new PB mite be coming out next year is something that is really bugging me tho becuz i expect to use this PB for 2+ years.

my alternative could be to get the iB 12' first for its cheap price then get the new PB whenever i could. it is really going to bother me if i bought the PB today and a month later came out the new PB not about the performance about the old PB but its just the feeling. i'm sure u all understand that.

so is it worth waiting for it?

[SEkker]

I'd wait a month and buy the day any new machines are released. They may still not ship until the end of March/April of 2005.

If you cannot wait that long, waiting only a month or so is still likely to cut prices of the current batch of G4 powerbooks by a decent margin (buy G4 right after whatever new is announced by Apple).

[ratter]

1. power
2. superdrive
3. monitor spanning/dvi-out
4. smaller/lighter size (12" pb vs. 12" ibook)


That was really it.

[typoon]

The reason I went with the powerbook over the iBook was:

1. Better keyboard much more solid feel
2. Ability to Span montiors without any hacks
3. Bluetooth included
4. I like the aluminum finish over the ibooks
5. Larger harddrive default harddrive.

those are my 5 main reaons why i went with the Powerbook over the iBook.

[vri2i]

There is only one reason I purchased an iBook, price.
I totally agree with the posts here, If you have an extra $600 to spend.

The powerbook is a faster machine, and has nicer aesthetics.
For games the 64MB of VRAM in the powerbook vs 32MB VRAM in the iBook would make a difference.

I would get a refurbished iBook for $799 from the Apple store and wait to see when new powerbooks are announced.
If it is January you should have no problem selling the iBook at the MacNN Marketplace.

Just my 2 cents worth,
because that is all I can afford.

�

[vri2i]

There is only one reason I purchased an iBook, price.
I totally agree with the posts here, If you have an extra $600 to spend.

The powerbook is a faster machine, and has nicer aesthetics.
For games the 64MB of VRAM in the powerbook vs 32MB VRAM in the iBook would make a difference.

I would get a refurbished iBook for $799 from the Apple store and wait to see when new powerbooks are announced.
If it is January you should have no problem selling the iBook at the MacNN Marketplace.

Just my 2 cents worth,
because that is all I can afford.

�

[Simon]

Originally posted by d0GGii:
i am about to come down to my final decision and it is most likely to be the PowerBook 12'. having to hear that the new PB mite be coming out next year is something that is really bugging me tho becuz i expect to use this PB for 2+ years.

my alternative could be to get the iB 12' first for its cheap price then get the new PB whenever i could. it is really going to bother me if i bought the PB today and a month later came out the new PB

Well, then it's very simple. If you don't want to have a PB that gets an update just one to three months after you bought yours, you can't get a PowerBook now.

What then? Well, if you have cash and time, you can go out an buy an iBook that you sell once the new PBs ship in volume. This has the advantage that you can actually see if the iBook could suit your needs. The disadvantage is that it's expensive and takes time. The (cheaper) alternative is the good old wait. You don't sound like you actually need the new Mac right now for work so I guess you could wait. OTOH when it comes to computers (especially Macs) you can always wait, so the good old rule of thumb is valid here once again: buy when you need a new Mac, wait only if you don't need it.

[powermacj7]

1) Screen on my PB is better than any iBook I had

2) Keyboard is more comfortable

3) 15' Screen is a reasonable size

4) I/O ports

5) Craftsmanship and quality

Any of these are not to say the iBook does not have. They have really improved the iBook line. I have a PB 800 DVI, which is not as nice as the new PB line, but still runs strong and has no dead pixels, etc.

[d0GGii]

get the pb now
sell it when i could get the new pb

why didn't i think of this

this is like ths easiest way


until now i still think iB 12' and PB 12' are basically equivalent despite the latter one has a slightly higher price. these 12's are at the low-end of their product lines and they really server the same purpose. why would a power user (say a heavy graphics designer) choose to use a PB 12' when u dont have the option to upgrade the VRAM.

like powermacj7 said, it all comes down to craftmanship and quality. do u know what im trying to say? better keyboard, better case, better outfit and feeling are generally what ppl want to find on the PB 12'. to those who are concerned about portability and battery life, iB 12' probably has a much longer battery life.

portability&performace - ibook 12'
portability&taste - PB 12'


i am buying the PB 12' just for the tastes

[Simon]

Originally posted by d0GGii:
get the pb now
sell it when i could get the new pb
...
i am buying the PB 12' just for the tastes

Good choice. Congrats!

[UnixMac]

Originally posted by d0GGii:
get the pb now
sell it when i could get the new pb

why didn't i think of this

this is like ths easiest way


until now i still think iB 12' and PB 12' are basically equivalent despite the latter one has a slightly higher price. these 12's are at the low-end of their product lines and they really server the same purpose. why would a power user (say a heavy graphics designer) choose to use a PB 12' when u dont have the option to upgrade the VRAM.

like powermacj7 said, it all comes down to craftmanship and quality. do u know what im trying to say? better keyboard, better case, better outfit and feeling are generally what ppl want to find on the PB 12'. to those who are concerned about portability and battery life, iB 12' probably has a much longer battery life.

portability&performace - ibook 12'
portability&taste - PB 12'


i am buying the PB 12' just for the tastes

it's refreshing to me how the Mac community is one of the last bastions of good taste and an eye for quality.

The underlying machine is ultimately good, no matter which Mac you get, but the PB is bad ass!

[ghoti_9]

Good Afternoon,

This is a topic that I have been looking into for the last several months. The introduction of the G4 iBook has closed the gap between to two such that I can't find much of a reason to get a Powerbook, right now. Note that I said right now. The G4 iBook suggests that the Powerbook will get a nice change soon to re-create separation. Other than aesthetics, the only things that I see the Powerbook offers is Firewire 800 and the PC card reader. Otherwise, they are very similar. If one of those features is mandatory, then your decision is easy. Are those two things really worth and extra $1K? I don't think so.

Yes, there are minor differences (60GB v 80GB, more RAM, etc.) you can get bogged down comparing details all day. If you are concerned with maximizing your machine for power use, you should be getting a desktop instead of a laptop anyway. What exactly does the laptop offer you that you need over a desktop? Portability and compactness. The 14" iBook costs about 1K less than a equivalent 15" Powerbook, and does a better job of being a portable computer (ie better battery time.) If you're not in a hurry, wait to see what the new Powerbooks will be like. I'll bet they'll be worth the wait. If you don't need a hot spit machine, get an iBook. If you need power, get a desktop.

[UnixMac]

Originally posted by ghoti_9:
If you need power, get a desktop.

what if you need the power now, and already have a desktop?


I think the current PB with upgraded HD, and Video RAM is fast enough for "on the road" work.... but sure, it's no desk top replacement for a G5..

[ghoti_9]

Originally posted by UnixMac:
what if you need the power now, and already have a desktop?


I think the current PB with upgraded HD, and Video RAM is fast enough for "on the road" work.... but sure, it's no desk top replacement for a G5..

Sure, the PB is good enough for 'road work.' But, so is the iBook. What do you get with the PB that you don't with the iBook? 1.5GHz vs 1.33...not much of a difference in the real world...at least not until they upgrade to PB again. If the HD is your issue, then save the $1K on the iBook and buy one of the portable pocket drives for $200. How about a 40GB iPod? You save $500 (after buying the iPod and iBook vs the price of a PB), have 100GB of total drive space and get an iPod. I got a 10GB iPod 3+ years ago, and used it to give presentations on my Lombard powerbook several times. It really made those Wintel users jealous to plug the iPod into my Powerbook and run a 15min video clip off of it.

[ghoti_9]

scratch that...it was Spring 2002. 2+ years ago. New math.

[mrwizard256]

also when Tiger comes out, all current Powerbooks will hardware accelerate Core Image, but iBooks won't.

[Teri Pettit]

Originally posted by Simon:
Baloney. That's the thread title. In his first post he wrote:



How much more clear can he be?

It wasn't just the thread title, d0GGii also reiterated in his (her?) final sentence the question "why did you choose a PowerBook?" It seems to me pretty clear that if d0GGii were only interested in why we though he (or she) should choose one over the other, then that's what he would have asked. Maybe it is useful to him to see that the large screen is the main factor for many buyers, just as a way of finding out that he doesn't fit the profile of a typical PowerBook buyer.

(The screen was the main reason I upgraded to the 17" PowerBook this year when my 15" was still working fine. In general, the speed and the more professional appearance have historically been the reason I've gone with the PowerBook over the iBook. I tend to buy a new one about every 18 months because that's as long as I can deny my lust for the latest cool features. I use it mainly for Photoshop.)

[chris v]

1. Better screen
2. More stock RAM, and not hard-wired.
3. 5400 rpm drive option.
4. better keyboard
5. Backlit keyboard.
6. Superdrive
7. Bigger hard drive
8. Faster CPU
9. Built-in Bluetooth & Airport (were still options in iBook when I ordered)
10. Thin, classy, stylish. "Ooh factor" has been fun. I've made converts.

All that said, there's two things I envy in the iBook-- better battery life, and better airport range. But the keyboard and the thick monitor bezel put me off after 8 months with a Powerbook.

[TailsToo]

1. DVI out
2. Monitor Spanning
3. SuperDrive
4. Higher Res Screen
5. Faster processor
6. larger hard drives

[bookofjames]

Originally posted by d0GGii:
get the pb now
sell it when i could get the new pb

Wouldn't that be a loss of $ for u?

the new PBs are rumored to be out in Jan's expo. I would wait til then and get if they are still not out.